FLME Ch66

TSharing a bed wasn’t as strange as he had imagined. After a tiring day, Yu Wen fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. His biggest concern was the strange pattern that had appeared out of nowhere, but he didn’t have the energy to think about much else.

But when he woke up the next day, he found himself in Xie Heyu’s arms.

It wasn’t entirely surprising; he knew he had terrible sleeping habits. Xie Heyu had probably been “attacked” by him in the middle of the night and had no choice but to hold him down. Yu Wen noticed that both his hands were clasped together near his chest, and Xie Heyu was gripping his wrists. The moment he moved, Xie Heyu’s grip tightened instinctively.

Hmm, looks like I got punished for hitting him in my sleep.

Squinting at the light peeking through the curtains, Yu Wen woke up fully and unconsciously rubbed his cheek against the arm he was resting on.

Sleeping like this was surprisingly comfortable…

Xie Heyu’s warmth pressed against his back, a cozy contrast to the slightly muggy early autumn air. By winter, Yu Wen thought, sleeping like this would be even better.

“…Good morning,” Xie Heyu murmured, still half asleep, his voice muffled against the back of Yu Wen’s head. “Boyfriend…”

Hmm.

Yu Wen figured Xie Heyu had some kind of attachment to the word “boyfriend.” It was like a special kind of acknowledgment to him; whenever Yu Wen casually called him that, he’d see that reserved joy spark up in Xie Heyu’s usually cool expression.

“Morning, boyfriend,” Yu Wen replied softly, unable to turn around in the tight embrace.

Finally awake, Xie Heyu loosened his grip a bit. Yu Wen took the opportunity to free himself, turning over to meet his gaze.

Yu Wen, already alert, looked bright-eyed and awake, while Xie Heyu, still a little bleary, took a moment to focus on him.

The first thing Xie Heyu did when he saw him was chuckle.

Yu Wen was baffled, but Xie Heyu’s laugh was low and warm, a deep, magnetic rumble that seemed to come up from his chest, resonating like gentle ripples that spread around them.

It made Yu Wen smile, too. After a shared laugh, he asked, “You’re kind of funny, boyfriend.”

As expected, Xie Heyu raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening.

“Seeing you when I wake up makes me happy,” he said simply.

The two got up and washed up together. Standing side by side in front of the mirror, brushing their teeth, with the sunlight streaming in from the large windows and the green plants by the window looking lush—it all gave them an oddly domestic, old-married-couple vibe.

And it was only their second day as a couple.

After brushing his teeth, Xie Heyu said, “In a while, once your schedule lightens up, I’ll be moving.”

“Where to?” Yu Wen mumbled through a mouthful of toothpaste.

“Not far from the company dorms.”

Yu Wen blinked. “That’s still close by. If it’s nearby, why bother moving at all?”

Xie Heyu shot him a meaningful look in the mirror.

“My dad’s getting older; he needs his own space.”

…Oh.

Yu Wen thought to himself, Huh, the old man sure has standards. In a big house like this, he wants to live alone and doesn’t mind the emptiness.

Xie Heyu went to get the car while Yu Wen lingered, taking his time. As he finally made his way downstairs, he bumped into Xie Jialin returning from a morning run.

He was wearing one of Xie Heyu’s boyfriend-style hoodies, hands tucked into the sleeves, walking down slowly. Just as he was a few steps from the bottom, he heard the door open. Thinking it was Xie Heyu, he cheerfully called out, “Teacher Xie, look, these sleeves are so long! Even when I stretch them out, only my fingertips show…”

Xie Jialin stood at the doorway, a towel slung over his shoulder, looking frozen in place.

Their eyes met, and an awkward silence ensued.

Yu Wen quickly pulled his hands back and clasped his palms tightly, his mind racing for a plausible explanation.

“Oh my—” Xie Jialin exclaimed theatrically, patting the wall with a grave expression, “I don’t know what happened, but I seem to have gone blind. I can’t see a thing! Just my luck…”

Yu Wen: “…”

He stood frozen, watching as Xie Jialin carefully made his way past him, brushing by him and smoothly disappearing into his room.

Seeing this, Yu Wen immediately understood that Xie Heyu’s dad had definitely noticed he’d stayed over.

For a few seconds, he stood there like a statue.

It’s fine. He reassured himself after a pause, It’s just a little social death. Once the city explodes, nobody will remember anyway.

Hahaha, why hasn’t the city blown up yet? Netizens talk about blowing it up every day, but when will they actually do it?

Xie Heyu pulled the car around to the front, and when Yu Wen got in, he was wearing the hoodie’s hood up and a pair of sunglasses on his nose.

“Don’t ask. Just know that I’m taking the cool route. Let’s go, Xiao Xie,” he declared with a flourish, waving grandly like an emperor on an inspection.

Xie Heyu held back a laugh, nodding solemnly. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

They drove in silence for a while.

Finally, Yu Wen broke it. “Xiao Xie, did your dad know I stayed over last night?”

Minister Xie replied calmly, “Yes.”

Yu Wen’s sunglasses slid down his nose, and he glanced at Xie Heyu with mild annoyance.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I saw your dad on my way out and just stood there like an idiot, too afraid to move. If you’d told me earlier, I could have greeted him smoothly, maybe even come up with a little excuse. Things wouldn’t have been so awkward…”

Just as Xie Heyu was about to respond, Yu Wen cut him off with certainty: “You did it on purpose.”

Xie Heyu: “…”

This time, he was innocent, truly.

“If I’d told you, you wouldn’t have slept all night,” he explained.

With Yu Wen’s thin skin, he probably would have tried to slip away and avoided coming back home with him for a long time.

Yu Wen picked up on his tone and pushed his sunglasses back up, raising his chin proudly. “You’re overthinking. My skin is thicker than a fortress wall now. I don’t get embarrassed that easily. ‘Unfazed by anything,’ that’s my new life motto. I read a great quote online—‘As long as I don’t feel embarrassed, then someone else will be.’”

Xie Heyu: “Okay.”

Yu Wen continued seriously, “I’ll have an even worse poker face than you. Get used to my evolution.”

Xie Heyu: “…Sure.”

Keeping up his poker face act, Yu Wen barely spoke for the rest of the drive, only occasionally adjusting his sunglasses, feeling cool.

The official filming of Moon Harbor began that day. At the opening ceremony, fans gathered outside, and as Yu Wen stepped out of the car, he was greeted by a wave of cheers. Startled, he quickly took off his sunglasses and smiled sheepishly.

…So much for the poker face.

Duration: one hour.

The attendance of President Feng and Vice President Bian clearly showed how important this project was to Huiteng. During the conversation, the two executives invited the main cast to a dinner party in the evening, reportedly to network and build connections within the industry. Initially, Director Miao was invited, but, not being fond of social events, he handed off the responsibility to the cast.

Utilized effectively, events like these could offer actors substantial resources for future opportunities. So, as soon as Yi Ming sat down—before he even took a bite—his manager whisked him off to socialize.

Yu Wen remained at his seat, focusing on his food.

The lighting at the banquet was dim, and he had chosen a relatively inconspicuous spot, so few people noticed him.

After a while, he glanced over at Xie Heyu, who was sitting beside him and engrossed in tackling an Australian lobster.

“Mr. Xie,” he said, looking at his manager, who was seated right next to him.

The banquet allowed managers to attend, so Xie Heyu sat with him.

Yu Wen didn’t like socializing, so it was normal for him to play it cool…but now his manager was behaving the same way?

Had he been influenced after just one day of dating?

Yu Wen reminded him, “Shouldn’t we go mingle with some bigwigs?”

Xie Heyu finished breaking down the lobster and placed the meat in Yu Wen’s bowl.

“Who are the bigwigs?”

“No idea; probably everyone here?”

“I don’t know them.”

“Wow,” Yu Wen replied.

Still, he felt a bit smug. This really was the style of Starlight Media; a laid-back agent like this really matched his vibe.

Feng Chengzhou noticed the two sitting in the corner and, after wrapping up his current conversation, made his way over.

“Yu Wen.” His tone was natural. After all, they had worked together several times and exchanged words privately, so Feng Chengzhou saw them as friends.

Besides, in previous conflicts with Chu Han, it had been Yu Wen who mediated between them. Last time, Chu Han mentioned that he liked the “baiting” type. Feng Chengzhou had been holding back for over a month, almost losing patience, but it was Yu Wen who had advised him, “If you blossom, the breeze will naturally come.”

Solid advice.

Since then, not only did Chu Han unblock him, but whenever he sent out signals for reconciliation, Chu Han would throw in some subtly sarcastic remarks as well.

To fight is to love, after all—such a positive sign! It hinted that his love life was finally getting back on track!

But today, Feng Chengzhou wasn’t here on personal matters.

He managed to slip away from social obligations, sat down, and before he could even start, Yu Wen said, “Chu Han’s filming these days, so I’m not updated on his whereabouts.”

“I know he’s filming,” Feng Chengzhou replied. “I wasn’t asking about that. Xi Su’s in the same company as you; have you seen him?”

Yu Wen was confused. “…Huh?”

He had no idea that Xi Su would be attending.

Xie Heyu whispered, “We were last-minute additions; Xi Su was on the invite list earlier. There wasn’t time to coordinate.”

“Oh…”

Since Yu Wen seemed entirely unaware of Xi Su’s attendance, Feng Chengzhou’s expression grew a little heavier. He nodded. “Looks like your relationship with him isn’t as close as I thought. That’s good—at least you won’t be caught in the middle.”

“Uh?”

This development was baffling, leaving Yu Wen at a loss for words.

Even Xie Heyu had paused his actions, frowning slightly in the dim light.

“Tonight will be the first time I meet him in a public setting. If possible, I’d like to talk to him before he makes an appearance. If he has any requests, we can settle it privately rather than in public. It’d be unsightly for things to blow up.”

It was only then that Yu Wen remembered that Xi Su was Feng Chengzhou’s illegitimate half-brother.

After this news came to light, Huiteng Group had taken no real action aside from suppressing the hot search results, showing no concrete measures regarding the “illegitimate child.” A few months had passed, and the general public had almost forgotten about this connection. However, it seemed the upper circles hadn’t forgotten and were still keeping tabs on him.

Feng Chengzhou had only just learned that Xi Su was on the guest list tonight. It was intriguing—why would a decision-making-focused banquet like this invite a second-tier internet celebrity with no substantial works or background?

These two half-brothers had never met publicly. No doubt, someone had arranged this intentionally, hoping to witness some drama.

“I’ve given him over two months to lay out his conditions, but he hasn’t contacted me at all. It seems he has desires beyond what I can offer.” Feng Chengzhou said with grave concern. “Such restraint suggests that my brother is quite calculating and should not be underestimated.”

Yu Wen was speechless.

Xie Heyu, also a bit taken aback by this assessment, finally managed, “Have…have you watched his livestreams?”

“I have.” Feng Chengzhou’s expression became even more serious. “That’s exactly his cleverness. He presents himself as entirely guileless, greatly lowering our guard against him. But when you consider the logic behind his actions, why would he hire a private investigator to track me if he didn’t want something from the Feng family? Two months of laying low only indicate he’s brewing a larger scheme.”

Yu Wen swallowed his steak, took a sip of water, and solemnly suggested, “Is there a chance…that he’s simply, uh, after some money?”

Feng Chengzhou appeared enlightened. “Ah, so he’s aiming for shares in the corporation.”

…He doesn’t even have ambitions that lofty!

“You didn’t grow up in a wealthy family; you don’t understand these intricate schemes,” Feng Chengzhou said, loosening his tie and leaning back in his chair with a look of exhaustion. “People like him are the most dangerous. I even blacklisted him once and forced him to terminate his contract with the company. But after that, he could still interact with me on his livestream without any bitterness. That happy expression on his face…I was nearly convinced myself.”

Yu Wen recalled the incident.

If he remembered correctly, Xi Su had just won a 100,000 yuan giveaway at the time.

He wasn’t faking it; he was genuinely thrilled.

“You’re not in the industry, so you don’t get it.” Feng Chengzhou offered a faint smile. “But you understand me, don’t you, Young Master Xie?”

Xie Heyu froze.

Previously, something about Xie Heyu had seemed familiar, prompting Feng Chengzhou to conduct a thorough investigation into Starlight Media. What he discovered was staggering: behind this seemingly small and worn-down company lay the formidable power of the influential Xie family.

Feng Chengzhou’s respect for Yu Wen immediately grew. How did he, out of all the agencies, manage to select the one with the most powerful connections?

Yu Wen was truly terrifying.

Yu Wen slowly turned his head, looking at Xie Heyu with an unspoken question in his eyes: Do you understand?

Xie Heyu, munching on a cherry tomato, finally swallowed and said with a blank expression, “I’m not in the industry.”

Feng Chengzhou: “…”

Forget it.

As a representative of Huiteng, Feng Chengzhou was buried in engagements and had little time to elaborate. After securing Yu Wen’s agreement to act as a go-between, he straightened his attire and hurried off.

Yu Wen propped his chin up, utterly baffled.

“These two brothers…aren’t they a bit too different?”

Xie Heyu said, “Their environments were entirely different growing up, so naturally, they think differently.”

Yu Wen nodded in agreement.

He lowered his head and messaged Xi Su, asking where he was.

Xi Su: [Hmm? Are you attending this banquet too? You should have told me! I thought I’d be alone and was planning to arrive late because it’d be so boring to go alone.]

Xi Su: [Wait for me. I heard banquets don’t fill you up, so I’m grabbing some street food to get by.]

Yu Wen replied, [Hurry up. Your brother wants to see you.]

Xi Su: [My brother? Which one?]

Yu Wen: [Feng Chengzhou.]

Xi Su: […]

Ten minutes passed before Xi Su replied: [Please do not disturb. I’ve boarded a high-speed train back to my hometown. Farewell, Yu Wen, and farewell to showbiz.]

Yu Wen: […It’s just a meeting. There’s no plan to kill you.]

Xi Su: [I know. But if I show up, there’ll be snipers in the dark, just waiting for him to give a signal for the bullet to fly. That’ll be the end of me.]

Yu Wen: [We live in a society governed by laws…who’s going to shoot you?]

Xi Su: [Those rich folks are all outlaws! That’s how it goes on TV!]